Thumper
01-19-2014, 10:25 AM
Well, I put ANOTHER birthday behind me yesterday and had a great time doing it. As you know, we've had to make major financial adjustments in our lives over the past few years due to my "early retirement" ... but it's surprising how easy the transition has really been. You have no idea how much money you "throw away" until you're put in the position you HAVE NONE to "throw away". We've made adjustments (that really weren't that hard to do) and oddly enough, our quality of life really hasn't changed all that much. Interesting ...
Anyway, Lynn got a comp room at the Hyatt Regency in Orlando for the weekend and even talked them into a free upgrade once we got here. Yesterday was low-pressure as we had no real schedule. We ate lunch at a small place that's been here a zillion years and I had a great pastrami sammich which is one of my all-time favorite sammies. (Lynn had roast beef) Just a GOOD, budget lunch.
Then we simply drove around the old neighborhood where I grew up. Saw all my old friends' houses, the places I used to play ball, etc, my old elementary and high school, the lakes we used to swim/fish in (NOBODY but rich people had a pool when I was a kid), where I had my first "real" job when I was only 12 years old (putting Schwinn bicycles together) ... just generally driving around seeing where I grew up which brought up tons of fond memories.
We stopped in front of the old house I grew up in (just to look) and noticed there was an estate sale in progress at the house next door! Cool! We went in and were greeted by the daughter and SIL of the (now deceased) owners. I mentioned growing up in the house next door and the conversation went from there. I knew the family that lived there previously and found they moved the year after we did, but the daughter and I discussed everyone who lived in the neighborhood back then and had a great time since we knew all the same people, just never knew each other. BUT, I learned what happened in old friends/neighbors lives after we moved away in 1967.
I then went next door (where I grew up) to knock on the door and ask if I could just "walk around the outside of the house" and see the place I grew up, but we were invited in and had about a 2-hour visit, as well as a complete tour of the house! Come to find out, the people who bought it from us were the parents of the dude who started the band "The Backstreet Boys" (Howie D.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howie_Dorough and he was actually born while living there. Evidently we shared the same room and all his gold records were hanging on the wall of my old bedroom! The basement walls were lined with carpeting (sound deadener) as that's where the band used to practice. Ha! Who'd a thunk it? The house is on the market for $475,000 (we bought it for $17,500 in 1959!) Sheeesh! Talk about inflation!
We topped off the day with a simple dinner at one of my favorite BBQ joints in town, then headed back to the hotel for a couple Black Russians and a Viagra! ;)
Anyway, Lynn got a comp room at the Hyatt Regency in Orlando for the weekend and even talked them into a free upgrade once we got here. Yesterday was low-pressure as we had no real schedule. We ate lunch at a small place that's been here a zillion years and I had a great pastrami sammich which is one of my all-time favorite sammies. (Lynn had roast beef) Just a GOOD, budget lunch.
Then we simply drove around the old neighborhood where I grew up. Saw all my old friends' houses, the places I used to play ball, etc, my old elementary and high school, the lakes we used to swim/fish in (NOBODY but rich people had a pool when I was a kid), where I had my first "real" job when I was only 12 years old (putting Schwinn bicycles together) ... just generally driving around seeing where I grew up which brought up tons of fond memories.
We stopped in front of the old house I grew up in (just to look) and noticed there was an estate sale in progress at the house next door! Cool! We went in and were greeted by the daughter and SIL of the (now deceased) owners. I mentioned growing up in the house next door and the conversation went from there. I knew the family that lived there previously and found they moved the year after we did, but the daughter and I discussed everyone who lived in the neighborhood back then and had a great time since we knew all the same people, just never knew each other. BUT, I learned what happened in old friends/neighbors lives after we moved away in 1967.
I then went next door (where I grew up) to knock on the door and ask if I could just "walk around the outside of the house" and see the place I grew up, but we were invited in and had about a 2-hour visit, as well as a complete tour of the house! Come to find out, the people who bought it from us were the parents of the dude who started the band "The Backstreet Boys" (Howie D.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howie_Dorough and he was actually born while living there. Evidently we shared the same room and all his gold records were hanging on the wall of my old bedroom! The basement walls were lined with carpeting (sound deadener) as that's where the band used to practice. Ha! Who'd a thunk it? The house is on the market for $475,000 (we bought it for $17,500 in 1959!) Sheeesh! Talk about inflation!
We topped off the day with a simple dinner at one of my favorite BBQ joints in town, then headed back to the hotel for a couple Black Russians and a Viagra! ;)